Reducing caffeine could help those who suffer the most widespread form of diabetes better control their blood sugar levels, scientists said on Monday.
The supply of caffeine to a small group of people with type 2 diabetes caused their blood glucose levels rise throughout the day, especially after meals, as he has discovered the University Medical Center Duke Durham , North Carolina.
In a telephone interview, James Lane (Duke medical psychologist who led the study) said “Caffeine appears to disrupt glucose metabolism in a way that can be harmful for those suffering from type 2 diabetes.”
The caffeine is found in coffee, tea and many soft drinks.
Diabetes is a situation in which blood glucose levels of the individual are too high. An excess of blood glucose can damage the eyes, kidneys and nerves, and diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and amputation.
Type 2 diabetes is the most linked to obesity.
The new findings appear to contradict previous research on diabetes and caffeine. Previous studies showed that those who drank coffee had a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and those who drank more coffee had the lowest risk.
Researchers have used a new technology (a tiny glucose monitor embedded under the skin of the abdomen) to evaluate glucose levels of 10 patients, with an average age of 63 years.
The days when the participants received four tablets of caffeine, equivalent to four cups of coffee, their average daily sugar levels rose by 8 percent compared to the days when those same people were four placebo pills, researchers say Published in Diabetes Care.
Dr. Lane said “What we actually show is that when people drink coffee with type 2 diabetes who are regular drinkers of coffee throughout the day there is an increase in glucose than would have if you do not eat caffeine. ”
“This suggests that patients with diabetes should avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages so that this distortion is not present. Check them easier to keep the glucose level if they avoid caffeine.”
Dr. Lane cited two possible explanations.
“Caffeine can interfere with the process that transports glucose from the blood to muscles and other body cells to use as fuel,” he says. He adds “caffeine also interferes with the release of the hormone adrenaline, which can raise levels of blood sugar.”
Different studies have yielded mixed results regarding the effects of caffeine on health. For example, researchers from the U.S. reported last Monday that pregnant women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day have double the risk of abortion than those who abstain from caffeine. On next day, U.S. researchers reported that caffeine may reduce the chances of women developing ovarian cancer.